Music Review // Sarafina Belafonte "Like a Man"

Sarafina Belafonte has developed a unique pop sound.   Big on the synths and bass, this has the energy of someone like Lady Gaga, Kesha or even Jennifer Lopez, but it doesn't sound quite the same as the vocals of Belafonte stand out along with the music itself.   "Like a Man" begins with a song about not getting attached, in which the lyrics say: "Say you love me / Right / But let's not kid ourselves / This is just for tonight".

The second song, "Eye Tag", is about two people exchanging looks.   Big pianos take us into "Fallen Angel", which really shows the range of the sound on here as well.   Strings come in and this has a big production-dramatic feel to it, somewhat like Christina Aguilera as well.  The lyrics say things like "You wove me in a fantasy / And I had to cut the strings" which feels far too often like something which happens in our society today.

On the fourth and final song of the EP, a more blues-driven sound in the bass and guitar comes out.   It turns into an almost dance number during the chorus, but is still catchy and you can sing along as you might also want someone to plead for you.  A lot of the lyrics in this song just make it feel like the outcome is known but the person just wants the other person to beg for it still, which is some sort of mental manipulation that you can think of in a good or bad way, depending upon what side you're on.

One of the biggest things to take away from this EP is that though Sarafina Belafonte is a woman, this title "Like a Man" is likely because these songs all seem to come from the point of view of a man.  While the first song could be about their lack of commitment, the second song gives strong vibes of "That woman smiled at me, she must be in love".   Into the idea of how men build up fantasies of women which they can't live up to and then just that power in the final song.  I truly hope this message reaches the right ears because it is strong.